GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal makes a guest appearance in the track "In My Head" from New York-based, female-fronted rockers CILVER. The song, which is available on Amazon, can be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.

CILVER features in its ranks former ME TALK PRETTY members Uliana Preotu (lead vocals), Leon Lyazidi (guitar, keyboards) and Guerin Blask (drums). They were recently joined by guitarist Gerry Soman (DIFFUSER, THE PENNYROYALS) and bass player Josh Pillbox (THE RECKLESS SONS, MIKE DEL RIO, NATURE OF CITY).

Tom Keifer, best known as the singer/songwriter/guitarist of the Philadelphia-based blues-rock band CINDERELLA, kicked off his first-ever solo tour last night (Saturday, February 9) at Ziggy's in Winson-Salem, North Carolina. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Keifer is making his debut as a solo artist with the release of his long-awaited and highly anticipated solo album, "The Way Life Goes", on April 30 via Merovee Records (through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group).

The collection of 14 new songs ranges from intimate, organic, acoustic tracks to driving hard rock. It embraces the blues, rock and country roots that have always been present in his unique sound that has generated the sale of over 15 million records worldwide for CINDERELLA. Rolling Stone praised Keifer as "a gritty, bluesy (rocker) with enough genuine swagger to draw comparisons to Mick Jagger."

"This record was a labor of love," Keifer told TriCities.com. "When I started this record, CINDERELLA was in the middle of a lawsuit with Sony Records. This record is not in any way to be taken as me stepping away from CINDERELLA."

"I took a lot of time making this record," he continued. "I made it over 10 years. I wanted to make something I loved. My wife, Savannah (Snow), co-wrote a lot of the songs with me. It was a blessing to me.

"Each song has something to do with life. It's just life, love, love lost, being crazy, going crazy, being lost. The record, there's no change, really, in style. It has the peaks and valleys.

"I've always approached music, played music that I like. I've never chased trends through CINDERELLA and with this album. It reflects what's in me."

"The Way Life Goes" track listing:

01. Solid Ground
02. A Different Light
03. It's Not Enough
04. Cold Day In Hell
05. Thick And Thin
06. Ask Me Yesterday
07. Fools Paradise
08. The Flower Song
09. Mood Elevator
10. Welcome To My Mind
11. You Showed Me
12. Ain't That A Bitch
13. The Way Life Goes
14. Babylon

"The Flower Song", the album's first single, was serviced to AAA radio stations nationwide on February 4, while "Solid Ground" will be serviced to all rock formats on March 11.

Keifer wrote "The Flower Song" with Jim Peterik, formerly of the bands SURVIVOR and the IDES OF MARCH.

"The Way Life Goes" is a raw, introspective look at the roller coaster ride that has been Keifer's life for the past 15 years. From being told that he would never sing again as a result of a partially paralyzed left vocal cord, to the emotional and personal battles that followed, his solo debut is a story of perseverance, a testament to the power of passion and will, when combined with a true love of music.

"It's pretty scary," Keifer said of his vocal paralysis. "I've had six surgeries to deal with the collateral damage. Performing… has been difficult for me because of the vocal issues I've had. I work several hours every day on that. That's a difficult thing for me every day."

MOONSPELL frontman Fernando Ribeiro has updated the Under The Moonspell Blog. An excerpt follows:
"2012 was, in the lack of a better word, a very intense year for us. Moonspell was able to play a lot after releasing Alpha Noir/Omega White and your reaction to both albums and particularly to the live shows, all around this world which is ours, has strongly motivated us making all sacrifice, planning and anxiety involved in running a band, dignifying and worthy. Thank you. For me 2012 was a special year with the birth of my firstborn, Fausto, who came to us a perfect child and helped me questioning my limits and my value as a man and a father.

My time runs faster and shorter now but I was still able, with the always heartfelt help of my band, crew and true friends, not only to release the album with Moonspell and to defend its colors live and on the press; but also to put together a book that celebrates our twentieth anniversary as a band, a document every fan would like to read or at least to peep at, as the band's essence and most important chapters of our history are contained in this work, fabulously illustrated by the pictures of Paulo Moreira, our long time photographer.

You can get the book here.
It is a bilingual version, in English and Portuguese and we are working on a Spanish translation as well as an e-book version to make our memories available to our expanding lunar community.

To list what we have done this year, all the releases the band or the labels have put together (albums, special editions, different vinyl records, one white, other black, other splatter) would be tiresome and abusive. It's already a temptation to be able to track and possess them all in this time of crisis and saving for a better day, that, by the way things are being run by our governors, is still nothing but a far away, painfully distant reality, not even a trace on the horizon line.

My words are for free. My thoughts as well. They are paid off by your comments and your attention. To share these thoughts is pure pleasure as I am too restless to keep them for myself. Maybe I take this thing of needing a crowd a bit too seriously."

Read more at this location.

Moonspell recently announced dates for their tour of Finland in April, dubbed Suomi Noir.

Says the band: At last! After trying out many times in the years following our last visit to Finland in Tuska’s 2007 edition, we are proud to announce our return to the land of the thousand lakes. The band opted for club shows, upon fan request for longer sets, and will be playing in the cities/clubs announced (below).

We are also happy to inform that Finnish legendary dark doomsters SWALLOW THE SUN will be the special guests on all dates. We hope now that all our Finnish fans pack the place and come out to celebrate with Moonspell, 20 years of passion and doom."
Dates include:

April
4 - Lutakko - Jyväskylä, Finland
5 - Klubi (Live-side) - Turku, Finland
6 - Virgin Oil Co. - Helsinki, Finland

Tickets are available from February 6th at this location.

Other European Moonspell dates include:

April
19 - Rennes, France - L´etage
20 - Limoges, France - CC John Lennon
21 - Paris, France - Divan Du Monde
23 - London, England - Underworld
24 - Essen, Germany - Turock
25 - Almelo, Netherlands - Naxtstage
26 - Ingolstadt, Germany - Eventhalle
27 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Docks
28 - Montpellier, France - Secret Place
29 - Toulon, France - Vox
30 - Cognac, France - Les anciens Abattoirs

May
1 - Toulouse, France - Bikini
2 - Bilbao, Spain - Rock Star Live
3 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
4 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Arena
Dates were recently announced for the upcoming Voices From The Dark tour, taking place in February/March and featuring Swedish black metallers Marduk and Moonspell as co-headliners. Support for the trek includes Colombian/American black metallers INQUISITION, Italy's gothic melodic sensation THE FORESHADOWING, and Swedish blackened punk rockers DEATH WOLF.

Tour dates:

Februrary
20 - Springfield, VA - Empire
21 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
22 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
23 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
24 - Montreal, QC - Club Soda
25 - Toronto, ON - Wreck Room
26 - Millvale, PA - Mr. Small's Theatre
27 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's
28 - Saint Paul, MN - Station 4

March
1 - Winnipeg, MB - Osborne Village Inn
2 - Regina, SK - The Exchange
3 - Edmonton, AB - Pawn Shop
4 - Calgary, AB - Dickens
5 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
6 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
7 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
8 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Opera House
9 - Los Angeles, CA - The Vex
10 - Tempe, AZ - 910 Live
11 - Albuquerque, NM - TBC
12 - Dallas, TX - Tomcats West
13 - San Antonio, TX - Korova
15 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
16 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade

Taking up where iconic bands like DEEP PURPLE and BAD COMPANY left off, HEAVEN & EARTH is on a mission to resurrect the sanctity of classic rock in its purest, most accessible form on their third studio album titled "Dig". Due out on April 23 via Quarto Valley Records, the CD was produced by Dave Jenkins, who's worked with everyone from METALLICA to TOWER OF POWER — and features special guests Howard Leese (HEART, PAUL RODGERS), Richie Sambora (BON JOVI), and David Paich (TOTO).

HEAVEN & EARTH recently released a special behind-the-scenes look into the making of "Dig" and what brought these five musicians together to make such a "classic"-sounding record. The clip premiered on AOL's Noisecreep and can be seen below.

HEAVEN & EARTH's founder and visionary Stuart Smith had this to say about "Dig": "I feel that with the crafting of the songs on this album, the incredible band we've put together, especially with powerhouse vocalist Joe Retta and the unwavering support of Quarto Valley Records' president, Bruce Quarto, we really have a shot at getting HEAVEN & EARTH the attention it deserves. This album is by far, the best thing I have ever done in my life."

Smith, who spent the '70s bending strings with numerous groups before he distinguished himself by making the acquaintance of DEEP PURPLE's Ritchie Blackmore, who mentored the up-and-coming musician. At the urging of Blackmore, Smith made his way to Los Angeles and began planting the seeds of what was to become HEAVEN & EARTH. Now with the release of "Dig" on the near horizon, the guitarist says HEAVEN & EARTH is a true band, an energized collective of like-minded musicians who are excited at bringing its unique, celestial brand of rock to audiences all over the world. "All the pieces are in place," he explains with graceful candor. "We're ready to make this our year."

The album cover for "Dig" was created by acclaimed photographer Glen Wexler, who has shot over 300 album covers, including records by VAN HALEN, BLACK SABBATH and MICHAEL JACKSON.

"Dig" track listing:

01. Victorious
02. No Money, No Love
03. I Don't Know What Love Is
04. Man & Machine
05. House of Blues
06. Back in Anger
07. Waiting for the End of The World
08. Sexual Insanity
09. Rock & Roll Does
10. A Day Like Today
11. Good Times
12. Live as One

According to the San Marino Tribune, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charles Palmer has dismissed what remained of GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose's lawsuit against video game giant Activision Blizzard. Rose sued the company in November 2010, claiming that it used an image of former GUNS guitarist Slash in Guitar Hero III after promising him that the game would not feature any reference to Rose's ex-bandmate. Rose claimed that was a condition of him agreeing to license the song "Welcome To The Jungle" for use in the game.

Palmer heard more than two hours of arguments on January 31 concerning the lawsuit's contract claims before taking the case under submission. On Thursday (February 7), he affirmed his tentative ruling and tossed out the remaining causes of action.

Palmer previously indicated that he was inclined to dismiss Rose's suit because the singer did not file it until a full three years after the game's October 2007 release. Rose has said that he was not aware of Slash's image in the game until later, although documents in the case indicated that an attorney for the rocker e-mailed Activision about it around the time the game came out.

Rose said in a deposition, "The reason I did not file a lawsuit is because Activision — through my managers and representatives — offered me a separate video game and other business proposals worth millions of dollars to resolve and settle my claims relating to Guitar Hero III."

He added, "From December 2007 through November 2010, Activision was offering me a GUNS N' ROSES-dedicated video game, a game dedicated to music from the 'Chinese Democracy' album, and other proposals."

Although Rose's legal team tried to point to emails suggesting that an agreement was in place for Activision to not use any images or music related to Slash, Judge Charles Palmer responded, "The only extrinsic evidence supports Activision's interpretation and does not support Rose's interpretation."

THE MELVINS return with a 13-track covers album, titled Everybody Loves Sausages, which is set for an April 30th release via Ipecac Recordings.

"This record will give people a peak into the kind of things that influence us musically," explains Buzz Osborne. "We REALLY like all of these songs along with the bands who actually wrote this stuff because first and foremost we are HUGE music fans."

In a decidedly Melvins approach to a covers album, the band not only selected a unique assortment of songs to cover, ranging from ROXY MUSIC's 'In Every Dream Home A Heartache' to QUEEN's 'Best Friend' they also enlisted several friends to take part including MUDHONEY's Mark Arm joining them for THE SCIENTISTS' 'Set It On Fire' and NEUROSIS' Scott Kelly pitching in on a cover of VENOM's 'Warhead'.

While the release is billed as a proper Melvins' album (featuring the line-up of Osborne, Dale Crover, Jared Warren and Coady Willis), there are a handful of songs recorded as the Melvins Lite incarnation of the band (Osborne, Crover and Trevor Dunn): 'Female Trouble' (DIVINE), 'Timothy Leary Lives' (POP-O-PIES) and 'Romance By Tales of Terror' (TALES OF TERROR).

The complete track listing with original artist and guest player notation:

'Warhead' (VENOM; Guest: Scott Kelly of NEUROSIS)
'Best Friend' (QUEEN; Guest: Caleb Benjamin of TWEAK BIRD)
'Black Betty' (original artist unknown)
'Set It On Fire' (THE SCIENTISTS; Guest: MARK ARM)
'Station To Station' (DAVID BOWIE; Guest: JG THIRLWELL)
'Attitude' (THE KINKS: Guest: Clem Burke of BLONDIE)
'Female Trouble' (DIVINE)
'Carpe Diem' (THE FUGS)
'Timothy Leary Lives' (POP-O-PIES)
'In Every Dream Home A Heartache' (ROXY MUSIC; Guests: Jello Biafra and Kevin Rutmanis)
'Romance' (TALES OF TERROR)
'Art School' (THE JAM; Guest: Tom Hazelmeyer)
'Heathen Earth' (THROBBING GRISTLE)

TOKYO BLADE vocalist Nicolaj Ruhnow's solo project, NICK HELLFORT, will release its new album, "The Mask Within", on March 1 via Sonic Revolution/Fastball Music.

Because of his commitments to TOKYO BLADE since July 2010, Ruhnow was forced to push all activities regarding NICK HELLFORT aside, which resuted in the postponement in the release of "The Mask Within". This turned out being a wise decision, as Nicolaj went through a number of new experiences with his bandmates and friends in TOKYO BLADE on the road, which led him to re-record many of the vocals tracks on the CD — "to give 'The Mask Within' a way wider range, musically and emotionally," he says in a press release.

"The Mask Within" track listing:

01. Temple Of Kings
02. Fame Is Just A Whore
03. Stepwise & Silently
04. The Arrival
05. Perception
06. For All Time
07. Lifeline
08. The Antichrist Wore Black
09. Journey Throu' A Cup Of Tea

Bonus tracks:

10. Crusaders (demo 2007)
11. The Messenger (demo 2007)

NICK HELLFORT's touring lineup will be as follows:

* Nicolaj Ruhnow (TOKYO BLADE, DOMAIN) - Vocals
* Andreas Siefert (NACHTSCHATTEN) - Guitar
* Matthias Holzapfel (EVERTALE, ex-NECROPHAGIST) - Guitar
* Steven Wussow (DOMAIN, XANDRIA) - Bass
* Daiv Carpenter (FLASHPOINT SERENADE) - Drums

Confirmed dates so far:

Mar. 01 - Rock-City, Uster (CH)
Mar. 02 - Come Inn, Renchen (GER)
Mar. 09 - 7er Club, Mannheim (GER)
Apr. 06 - Sonnenkeller, Balingen (GER)
Apr. 26 - Negasonic, Aalst (BE)
Apr. 27 - Blue Devils Club, Arrás (FR)
Apr. 28 - Le Klub, Paris (FR)

Dallas, TX-based heavy metal act SEEKER has posted their new single, 'Alone' (featuring Corey Bennet of BERMUDA), for free download at this location.
The track is streaming below:

Alone by Seeker

Seeker vocalist Bryce Lucien has released the following statement on the band's upcoming string of February US tour dates with headliners CORELIA, and I, OMEGA.

"We're always excited to be on the road, and the fact that both bands are full of such outstanding musicians makes this tour even better. We've been working extremely hard to step up the insanity of our live show and we will be playing quite a bit of new material on this run, so we're definitely ready to get back out in front of our old fans and hopefully make some new ones. Be on the lookout for a new song premiere in the coming weeks. See you on the road."

The upcoming run will commence February 14th in St. Louis, MO. Tour dates are below:
Seeker tour dates:

February (with Corelia, I, Omega)
14 - St. Louis, MO - Fubar
15 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Parish
16 - Tyler, TX - The Oil Palace
17 - Austin, TX - The Hole in the Wall
18 - Roswell, NM - The Unity Center
19 - Albuquerque, NM - Amped Performance Center
20 - El Paso, TX - Gallery 127
21 - Mesa, AZ - The Nile Underground
22 - San Diego, CA - The Epicenter
23 - Fullerton, CA - The Anchor

March
14 - Austin, TX - Death Metal Pizza
15 - Shreveport, LA - Mediastar Entertainment Hall
More on Seeker at this location.

Croatian doom/gothic metallers ASHES YOU LEAVE have uploaded footage from the studio of the re-recordings of drum tracks for their song, 'For The Heart, Soul And Mind'. Check out the clip below:
Says the band: "The new re-arranged version should soon see the light of the day. Stay tuned!"

The track was featured on Ashes You Leave's sixth full-length album, The Cure For Happiness, available via Rock N Growl Records.
The original album track is streaming below:
The CD was recorded in the G.I.S. studios, by Matej Zec and featureds vocals by Giada “Jade” Etro.
The Cure For Happiness tracklisting:

'Devil in Disguise'
'Only Ashes You Leave'
'For the Heart, Soul and Mind'
'The Ever-changing'
'Meant to Stray'
'Summer’s End'
'Reality Sad'
'The Cure'
'…For Happiness'

The song 'Summer’s End' can be streamed below
The Cure For Happiness is available as digital download and on CD only at the band’s Rock N Growl Records website.
The band lineup:

Giada “Jada” Etro – lead vocals
Berislav “Bero” Poje – vocals and lead guitar
Matija Rempesic – guitar
Marta Batinic – violin
Luka Petrovic – bass guitar
Sasa Vukosav – drums

For more details visit Ashesyouleave.org.

Seattle metallers SHADED ENMITY will be hitting Fastback Studios in North Seattle with producer/engineer Aaron Smith on February 21st to begin recording their upcoming album Forsaken and Forgotten.

A band update states: "We are very excited to start work on the album. There are tons of ideas floating around and we can't wait to share them with everyone. Album track list will be made available very soon. Until then, please check out our song 'And Life Was Great…' Which we recorded as a teaser for the new album. Thank you very much for your continued support of this band. This upcoming album is going to cost quite a bit of money, as quality does not come cheap. If you would like to support the band, please buy our MP3s and our CDs from CD Baby, iTunes, Big Cartel, and many other sites. We can assure you the new Shaded Enmity will not disappoint! More news and other announcements coming soon."

CHURCHBURN, the musical collaboration between two of the undergrounds masters of misery Dave Suzuki, best known for his mesmerizing guitar work and brutal drumming in VITAL REMAINS and Ray McCaffrey, who carved out sonic drum patterns for SIN OF ANGELS and GRIEF are now offering, for a limited time only a free download of their self tilted three-song debut EP with purchase of the groups limited edition t-shirt via Bandcamp.
Commented McCaffrey: "Plans are being finalized for the band to start playing shows and festivals in late spring into early summer across the U.S. We are very eager to start our live assault!!!"

According to a press release, Suzuki and McCaffrey have set out to share with the world their love of the riff, not only the heaviest but also the most haunting. Each song is crafted with the most sinister of intent. Churchburn wants the listener to feel a true sense of dread as the song progresses.

The track listing for the EP is as follows:
'Come Forth The Swarm'
'Crown Of Fallen Kings'
'Kneel Upon Charred Remnants'

Churchburn is:
Dave Suzuki - guitar, vocals
Ray Mccaffrey - drums, vocals
Shawn McCoy - guitar
Kevin Edwards - bass

The band is currently writing and demoing material for its debut album, tentatively due in late 2013 via an as-yet-undetermined record label.

Israel/Greece-based progressive metal act REIGN OF THE ARCHITECT have signed a deal with Pitch Black Records, who will be releasing the band's debut album, Rise, in spring 2013.
Reign Of The Architect is the brainchild of Yuval Kramer (AMASEFFER guitarist), and was formed in 2008 in Israel. Although starting out as a studio project, the band and the creation of their debut album has snowballed to incorporate performers from all over the world and features several guest appearances. Among those lending their talents to the release are Jeff Scot Sotto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JOURNEY), Mike LePond (SYMPHONY X) and Joost Van Den Broek (AFTER FOREVER).

Regarding the recent signing of contracts, Reign Of The Architect released the following statement: "After a long time working on our debut album, and six months of performances, we are proud to start a new chapter in the band's life; becoming a part of the Pitch Black Records roster - we're really looking forward to working with them. This is a great way to start this year. Stay tuned cause lots of things are being cooked inside ROTA's lair… Let it Reign!"

An introduction video from Reign Of The Architect can be seen below:
Pitch Black Records owner Phivos Papadopoulos commented: “Working with newcomer artists who are first and foremost talented and passionate musicians has always been a core element of Pitch Black Records. Reign Of The Architect is another fine example of this and we are very excited to welcome them to the constantly growing Pitch Black Records family. We are certain that their talent and passion in music will be quite evident from first listen and will not disappoint!”

More on Reign Of The Architect at this location.

London, England-based metallers NEONFLY have tapped Dennis Ward (UNISONIC, PINK CREAM 69, ANGRA) to produce their as-yet-untitled sophomore album.

Dennis has been at the forefront of the metal scene since the late '80s as the bass player and producer of the mighty PINK CREAM 69, and more recently of UNISONIC.

As well as his own bands, Dennis has produced albums for ANGRA, KROKUS, BOB CATLEY, SINNER, PRIMAL FEAR, VANDEN PLAS, AXXIS, ADAGIO, ROBIN BECK… the list goes on! His track record, needless to say, speaks for itself.

Production on the follow-up to NEONFLY's 2011 debut, "Outshine The Sun", is set to start on April 1 at Hofa studios in Karlsdorf, Germany. Excitement is high within the band as to the new sonic possibilities presented by working with Dennis Ward. New musical horizons surely beckon and a major leap in the band’s profile is assured.

Comments NEONFLY guitarist and main songwriter Frederick Thunder: "The material we have for this album is the best we’ve ever written, I have no doubt about that. The arrangements are bigger and more bombastic, the riffs are killer, the songs are even more hook-laden, and following extensive touring with heroes like MAGNUM and FREEDOM CALL, we feel our playing has reached fever pitch… we're just more together and inspired as a band.

"With this record, we want the fans to get some sense of the energy and ferocity we present in our live shows, whilst at the same time melting their brains with what we aim to be a massively ramped up orchestral scale to our sound. That's why it was really important to choose the right producer for this album, to make sure that the scale of the production could match our ambitions, and Dennis is the right man for the job. We just can't wait to get started, and I know once we do, we won't want to stop!"

As previously announced however, the band will take a break in the production to fly back to the U.K. for their tour in support of SONATA ARCTICA.

The dates are as follows:

April 14 - Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms
April 15 - Manchester, UK - Club Academy
April 16 - Birmingham, UK - HMV Institute Library
April 17 - London, UK - The Garage

Chapter two of the NEONFLY story is about to commence and the bandmembers look forward to presenting the fruits of their labors to the metal masses later in 2013.

NME reports that ELTON JOHN is confirmed to appear on the new QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE album.

The unlikely collaboration was revealed by FOO FIGHTERS frontman DAVE GROHL, who is also appearing on the forthcoming album, when he interviewed Sir Elton as part of his week covering chat show host Chelsea Lately on her late night talk show last night (February 6th).
During the interview, Grohl told the audience that "Recently, Elton and I recorded something together. Something that people wouldn't imagine the two of us doing together," before Elton revealed that it was a new song for the upcoming Queens Of The Stone Age album.

Revealing details of the recording session, Elton added: "I was in Vegas and I flew back to LA and Engelbert Humperdinck had written me a very sweet letter and asked me to sing a duet with him. He is part of my history and I couldn't say no so I went and recorded a song with him. Then I drove three blocks and went from Engelbert to Queens Of The Stone Age, which was a bit of a mindfuck."

Grohl, interjecting, said: "I remember you (Elton) walking in and him being, like, (lethargically) 'Have you got a ballad for me?' and we were just like, 'no, we do not have a ballad for you.'" Talking specifically about recording the song, Elton added: "After three hours we got it and he (Grohl) drummed on every take and every take was amazing. He's built like a brick shithouse when he drums."

Other guests confirmed to appear on the band's new album include Trent Reznor from NINE INCH NAILS, Mark Lanegan, Nick Oliveri and Jake Shears of SCISSOR SISTERS.

Watch Dave Grohl interview Elton John on TV:

Frontiers Records recently signed STRYPER to a multi-album deal. The first release due out will be a new re-recorded collection; Second Coming will hit streets on March 22nd in Europe and March 26th in North America. It is now available for pre-order via Amazon using the widget at the bottom of the page.

The first single - a new studio cut 'Bleeding From Inside Out' - will be released on February 25th. Stay tuned for details.
The album features sixteen tracks, including new recordings of fourteen songs from the band’s early years as well as two brand new songs recorded especially for Second Coming, and is produced by Stryper frontman Michael Sweet.

Second Coming tracklisting:

'Loud N’ Clear'
'Loving You'
'Soldiers Under Command'
'Makes Me Wanna Sing'
'First Love'
'The Rock That Makes Me Roll'
'Reach Out'
'Surrender'
'To Hell With The Devil'
'Calling On You'
'Free'
'The Way'
'Sing Along Song'
'More Than A Man'
Bleeding From Inside Out' (new song)
'Blackened' (new song)

Listen to an audio sample of 'Soldiers Under Command' here, and a sample of 'The Rock That Makes Me Roll' at this location.

Sweet recently commented, “We're really excited about this record. The re-recorded songs are sounding awesome… better than the originals in many ways! One word to describe the record? Heavier. We've hooked up with some great people - we've got new management, a great album, a great label. We just feel like everything is coming together, and hopefully some big things are to follow."

Stryper is one of the top Christian rock bands of all time. Comprised of the original line-up of Michael Sweet (vocals/guitar), Oz Fox (guitar), Tim Gaines (bass), and Robert Sweet (drums), Stryper has been rocking since 1984, and is responsible for such '80s metal classic albums as Soldiers Under Command, To Hell With The Devil, In God We Trust and such MTV hit singles/videos as 'Calling On You', 'Free', and 'Honestly'.
After a sabbatical for much of the 1990's, Stryper returned strong in the early 21st century. To date, the band has sold upwards of 8 million records worldwide and is a Dove Award-winner and Grammy nominee. Stryper is the first band to have two songs in MTV’s Top 10 simultaneously.

The band's schedule is currently as follows:

February
16 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Teatro Flores
17 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Carioca Club

March
16-20 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Monsters of Rock Cruise

CHIMAIRA has entered the studio to begin recording its new album for a tentative summer release via eOne Music. The follow-up to 2011's "The Age Of Hell" is expected to include the track "I Despise", which the band debuted during the 13th annual Chimaira Christmas concert on December 29, 2012 at Cleveland, Ohio's House Of Blues. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of Brian DiMaria from Jamestown, New York).

In a recent interview with Metal Insider, CHIMAIRA frontman Mark Hunter stated about the progress of the songwriting session for the new CD: "We have twelve demos written and we've actually gone into the studio and demoed it professionally instead of just a standard computer/Pro Tools kind of thing," he said. "We're getting ready to enter the studio in February and make a new album."

He added: "2011 sucked. [laughs] This year's been all about rebuilding and we got a chance to do overseas. Our first show with the new line-up was at Soundwave in Australia in front of 10,000 people. It was really nice to have to go through such a terrible year and just kind of stand on top of a mountain and go, 'Wow, OK, we got out of it, and we're here, we got a band, we sound great, and we can move forward.' So this year has been restructuring the entire business from the ground up, realigning ourselves with new teams; be it management, agent, merchandise companies, everything from the whole ground up. In my opinion, the only way to move forward was to rebuild the whole thing from the bottom up.

"We want to come out with an album that not only captures the essence of what the fans have grown to know over the years, but we want to do something not only for the scene that's special, but for musicians out there, too. The musicianship in this band now is definitely on the next level. Everyone's pretty much a virtuoso at their instrument. Some of the stuff Emil [Werstler, guitar] was writing yesterday on this new song, I'm watching him play and I'm like, 'There are only going to be about a handful of people that'll able to play this!' [laughs] I'm imagining like a kid getting home, getting our new record and maybe they have the guitar, and they go sit down and try play along to it. And it's going to take them a very long time. [laughs]

"We couldn't be happier moving forward. It sucks that we had to go through hell — no pun intended — to get to where we are now. But I think all of us, coming from lessons of life, lessons of bands, lessons of the industry, we've lived and learned and now we have something completely different to prove."

CHIMAIRA's current lineup is as follows:

Mark Hunter - Vocals
Matt Szlachta (DIRGE WITHIN) - Guitar
Jeremy Creamer (DAATH) - Bass
Emil Werstler (DAATH) - Guitar
Sean Zatorsky (DAATH) - Keyboards
Austin D'Amond (BLEED THE SKY, THE ELITE) - Drums

"The Age Of Hell" sold more than 7,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 54 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "The Infection", opened with 15,000 units back in April 2009 to land at No. 30. This figure was roughly in line with the first-week tally registered by CHIMAIRA's 2007 album, "Resurrection", which shifted 16,000 copies to enter the chart at No. 42.

"The Age Of Hell" was released in the U.S. on August 16, 2011 via eOne Music; in Germany on August 26; and in the United Kingdom, Australia and the rest of Europe on August 29 through Long Branch Records.

German extreme metallers DEATH OF DESIRE, whose recording lineup includes MAYHEM drummer Hellhammer (a.k.a. Jan Axel Blomberg), have changed their name to DYNASTY OF DARKNESS for legal reasons. The band currently seeking a suitable label to release its debut album, "Empire Of Pain".

Commented DYNASTY OF DARKNESS founding member Morbid: "After four years of hard work and countless studios, we've finally managed to finish our album. The reasons for the delay go from legal problems with studios and band members, to illness, rehab and life getting in the way, but all through the hardships we've come victorious and completed this masterpiece of an album that will no doubly be a memorable piece in metal history."

DYNASTY OF DARKNESS was born in Bruchsal, Germany in 2008. First recordings and video footage were recorded in an abandoned military complex from the Second World War which used to be the Bundesnachrichtendienst Zentrale or the Secret Service for the Nazis. The compositions were created behind machine-gun-dented bulletproof doors and rusted barbwire cells creating an unmatchable atmosphere of obscure, cold and eerie material which was used for their first demos.

In 2009, the band recruited Hellhammer as their official session drummer, who recorded all of the drum tracks for their debut full-length album, "Empire Of Pain", at the Mølla Studio in Norway, where bands such as ARCTURUS, ULVER, MAYHEM, ROTTING CHRIST, AURA NOIR have recorded. Later on, Attila Csihar (MAYHEM) was invited as a guest singer and recorded an obscure track under his VOID OF VOICES project; in 2010 the band summoned Amund "Pzy-Clone" Svensson (THE KOVENANT) to work on full orchestrations and symphonies on the album, adding an element of epic majestic darkness to the music. The album was produced by Morbid and recorded and mixed by Steve Tucker (MORBID ANGEL) and Charles Logic. For the completion of the CD, more than six studios were used in two different continents and four different countries. Songtitles set to appear on the album include "Frozen", "Diuum Dues", "The Scribe Of The Gods" and "My Nightmare".

According to TMZ.com, former KORN drummer David Silveria pleaded guilty to a charge of allegedly driving under the influence. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the hit-and-run charge in connection with the March 2012 incident in which the 40-year-old musician — who played with KORN for 13 years — rear-ended another car on his way to breakfast in Huntington Beach, California.

Silveria was sentenced to three years of informal probation, a three-month first offender program, and he must attend a M.A.D.D. victim impact panel.

Silveria told TMZ.com that he had no alcohol in his system when he was arrested for DUI on March 25, 2012, claiming that he was taken into custody over a sleeping pill he took the night before. Hr said that he took a sleeping pill the night before his arrest to help him with insomnia. When he woke up the following morning, he accidentally rear-ended the other car.

Although Silveria says he blew a 0.0 on the breathalyzer at the scene of the accident, the cops decided to arrest him for DUI after being told about the sleeping pill.

Silveria told TMZ.com at the time that he planned to take responsibility for his actions, insisting, "It was an honest mistake."

Silveria last year joined forces with ANYONE members Riz Story and Miki Black in a brand new project called INFINIKA.

David left KORN in late 2006 in order to focus on family life along with running his steak house and sushi restaurant.

It’s not easy for “underground” bands to release DVDs. Without major labels behind them who have money to invest in their roster, it’s pretty much a dream for the majority of bands, no matter how much demand there is from fans who are weary of trying to watch their favourite bands on YouTube, at the mercy of the vagaries of their internet connections and with poor sound quality.

So Danish black metallers BLODARV have taken matters into their own hands, and released a DVD themselves, but in a format that self-financing would permit - DVD-r.
Titled A Doorway Between Worlds Chapter 1, the DVD contains videos for tracks from Blodarv's albums Soulcollector, Linaria Amlech, Civitas Diaboli and the newly released Gâst, as well as a live recording from their show at Club Brutal, in Aarhus Denmark, filmed in December of last year. The DVD will be available exclusively through the band’s webshop at this location.

Videos featured on the A Doorway Between Worlds Chapter 1, which is DVD player and PC compatible and is limited to 666 hand-numbered copies, as follows:

'A Snowy Night In November' (Music Video)
'I Blaek Og Blod' (Music Video)
'Blood red Rocks' (Live Video)
'Empty Fucking Life' (Music Video)
'Civitas Diaboli' (Music Video)
'Heksen Nitiria Amlech' (Music Video)
'Those Who Speaks In Minds' (Slide with Live Pics)
'Langt Vaek Fra Livet' (Slide with Live Pics)
Commenting on the decision to release a DVD in this format, frontman and founder Hugin said: “The question we were most frequently asked during 2012 was if we ever intended to release all our official videos, which normally reside on YouTube, as a physical DVD. We wanted to start this year by making a little special “something” for our loyal fans and with that in mind we gathered together eight of our most popular underground videos, and made the DVD-r A Doorway Between Worlds Chapter 1, so that everyone has a chance to enjoy it on their DVD player with CD quality sound, on a proper sized screen and without having to wait for any annoying buffering or deal with bad internet connection, which affect many of our fans in different parts of the world.”
More information about Blodarv can be found on the band’s Facebook page at this location.

Twelve tracks spanning the band's 14-year career can be heard on the band’s SoundCloud player below:

< param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">< embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="305" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F542914" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">< /object> BLODARV by BLODARV

The video for 'A Snowy Night In November' can be seen below:

German epic pagan metallers WOLFCHANT's follow-up to 2011's Call Of The Black Winds is called Embraced By Fire, and will be released on March 1st via NoiseArt Records. The album will include their legendary album, Bloody Tales Of Disgraced Lands, as a bonus CD. Check out a new near ten-minute preview below:
About the album, the band comments: "Embraced By Fire is the most elaborate and detailed album in our band history so far! We've made sure to create catchy and interesting song structures and to deploy a multifarious instrumentation. Andre Hofmann of Forte Fortissimo studio supplied a very forceful and clear sound, which fits perfectly to the new songs."
Embraced By Fire tracklisting:
'Devouring Flames'
'Embraced By Fire'
'Element'
'Turning Into Red'
'Einsame Wacht'
'Autumns Breath'
'Freier Geist'
' Winter's Triumph'

The album's title track is streaming below:
Wolfchant will be taking part in Paganfest Europe along with ALESTORM, ARKONA, EX DEO, THYRFING and BORNHOLM.

Check out the official trailer below:
Paganfest dates:

February
28 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage

March
1 - Wuerzburg, Germany - Posthalle *
2 - Essen, Germany - Weststadthalle *
3 - Eindhoven, Netherlands 0- Effenaar
4 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA Longhorn
5 - Solothurn, Kofmehl
6 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
7 - Berlin, Germany - K17
8 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser *
9 - Munich, Germany - Backstage *
10 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle *

* VARG and KALMAH added as a special guests at the extended shows.

For more details visit Paganfest.eu.

Death metal powerhouse DYING FETUS performed at DNA Lounge in San Francisco, California on December 9th, 2012 as part of their The Blood Of Power Tour. Capital Chaos has uploaded multi-cam footage from the show, which can be seen below:
Dying Fetus recently released their new video, for the song 'Second Skin'. Directed by Jakob Arevarn, the video shows the mental and physical collapse of a child molester/murderer. As he descends into the depths of his own diseased mind, his body begins falling apart. Ultimately, he is faced with a creature that looks like something out of a Guillermo Del Toro film, and that’s when things get really insane. The video can be seen below courtesy of Bloody-Disgusting.com:
HATEBREED are on tour in support of their new studio album, The Divinity Of Purpose. The tour launched on January 26th in Flint, MI and runs through February 17th in Amityville, NY.

Also on the tour are special guests and label mates, SHADOWS FALL along with support acts Dying Fetus and THE CONTORTIONIST. For tour dates and ticket info visit Hatebreed.com

German metallers TERVINGI, , the new band around ex-LYFTHRASYR guitarist Johann Frey, are about to release their first album. The epic Gotensaga deals in 11 songs with the story of the westgoths, which are also called Tervingi. The band plays catchy metal somewhere between death and heavy metal, which is a a guarantee for great entertainment.

You can get a first impression of the the album with this video trailer:
Gotensaga was mixed in Studio E "Klangschmiede" by Markus Stock (THE VISION BLEAK), mastered in Finnvox Studio Helsinki (NIGHTWISH, SENTENCED) by Mika Jussila and will be available on March 22nd, in CD format with an 8-page booklet, 24-page story book and metal box case, and mp3 download edition.

The album artwork can be seen below:
Tracklisting:

'Aufbruch zur groben Wanderung'
'Der Goten Eid'
'Die Seherin'
'Töchter schnellen Wassers'
'Der Hörner Ruf'
'Reka'
'Der Abschied'
'Alewars Schmiede'
'Witirichs Recken'
'Stadt aus Asche'
'Epilog'
Band lineup:

Johann Frey - Lead, Rhythm Guitars and Vocals
Aria Keramati Noori - Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Todd Goldfinger - Bass Guitar
Tomasz "Nefastus" Janiszewski - Drums
Julian Pešek - Keyboards

More on Tervingi at this location.

Drummer MIKE PORTNOY (ADRENALINE MOB, ex-DREAM THEATER) has released the Live Momentum Drum Cam DVD from NEAL MORSE's US Momentum Tour. It was recorded live October 11th, 2012 at the High Line Ballroom in New York. Go to this location to order.

A trailer is available below:
The tracklist is as follows:

'Momentum'
'Weathering Sky'
'Author of Confusion'
'The Distance to the Sun'

Testimony Suite:
-'Sleeping Jesus'
- 'Price of the Power of the Air'
- 'The Promise'
- 'Wasted Life'

'Thoughts Part 5'
'The Conflict'

Question Mark Suite:
- 'The Temple of the Living God'
- 'Another World'
- 'Entrance'
- 'Inside His Presence'

'Fly High'
'World Without End'
'Sing it High'
'King Jesus'

Audio options include Full Band and Isolated Drums.

Portnoy recently checked in with the following update:

"Last week while at NAMM, I gathered signatures on a cymbal for a charity auction tba soon. I was lucky enough to gather signatures from so many of my gracious friends from IRON MAIDEN, BLACK SABBATH, VAN HALEN, GUNS N ROSES, DEEP PURPLE, ANTHRAX, SLAYER, MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, LAMB OF GOD, ALICE IN CHAINS, KORN, QUEENSRYCHE, WHITESNAKE, OZZY, SCORPIONS, THE CULT and more! This is one HELL of a souvenir!! Details coming soon..."

'90s-styled death metallers REVEL IN FLESH have revealed that their second album will be entitled Manifested Darkness and it will be released through their label FDA Rekotz on April 12th (CD/download) and April 26th (vinyl). Check out the cover artwork created by Juanjo Castellano below:
Manifested Darkness was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö (ex-EDGE OF SANITY, BLOODBATH, NIGHTINGALE) at his Unisound Studios.

The band are planning a special Manifested Darkness release show in April. More news to follow.



For more details visit Facebook.

Brazilian thrash/progressive metallers DYNAHEAD have revealed the artwork for their upcoming third album, entitled Chordata I. The artwork, designed by Chris Panatier, can be seen below:
Chordata I is the first of a two-part conceptual piece based on biological evolution. Two songs will become available in the
next few weeks. Chordata I and all its predecessors, YOUniverse (2011) and Antigen (2009) were recorded, mixed and mastered by Caio Duarte at his BroadBand Studio in Brazil.

The Brazilian digipak version will be released on MSMetal Records/Voice Music, and the digital version will be out on February 14th via
Digmetalworld Records in North America, licensing to other territories are currently being discussed.

Singer/Producer Caio Duarte commented: "Dynahead is known for producing all of its own material, the band stays proudly away from commercial pressures or passing trends by valuing aesthetically richness and musical dynamics, the band collected an outstanding reputation with critics, rare even among signed bands."

Chordata I is part of two albums and both parts are scheduled, the first one on March 11th, and Chordata II in 2014.
Chordata I tracklisting:

'Abiogenesis'
'Bred Patterns'
'Collective Skin'
'Dawn Mirrored In Me'
'Echoes Of The Waves'
'Foster'
'Growing In Veins'
'Hallowed Engine'
'Inevitable'

Dynahead is:

Caio Duarte - Vocals
Diogo Mafra - Guitars
Pablo Vilela - Guitars
Diego Teixeira - Bass

More on Dynahead at this location.

Scandinavian black metallers THORNGOTH will release their fourth album, Schwarz-Karg-Kalt, in March via Folter Records. The album artwork can be seen below:
Schwarz-Karg-Kalt tracklisting:

'Schwarz-Karg-Kalt'
'Im toten Feld der Wirklichkeit'
'Umkehr der Kräfte'
'Todesschrei der Materie'
'Leblos Totgestein'
'Aggressor'
'Lavaplanet'
'Das Licht stirbt'
'Alles ist erstarrt'

A first taste of the album is now available. 'Im Toten Feld der Wirklichkeit' is streaming below:
Thorngoth lineup:

Akhorahil: Vocals
Sorath: Rhythm and Lead Guitars
Vulgrim: Rhythm and Lead Guitars
Corpse: Bass
Grond: Battery
More on Thorngoth at this location.